Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park, Sanya

Yalong Bay Forest Park tickets and prices

An adult ticket with the round-trip shuttle is ¥158 from October to April and ¥140 from May to September. Children aged 6–18 or 1.2–1.4 m tall, and visitors aged 60–69, pay ¥104 or ¥95. Under-6s or children under 1.2 m go free; from 70 entry is free but the shuttle costs ¥50. Bring your passport for any discount.

These figures come from East China Trip's guide, and the Chinese ticket site dahepiao.com gives the same child and senior prices. We found no official price list, and China Discovery quotes a higher ¥175 entry, so treat them as a guide. Combo tickets with the skywalk, rope bridge and a 6D cinema run ¥260–288 depending on the source — only worth it if you want both the skywalk and the bridge.

Tickets are issued in your name. Book online through the park's WeChat account, Trip.com or Klook, or buy at the gate. Paying: most places in China expect Alipay or WeChat Pay. Both accept foreign Visa and Mastercard once you link them to your passport — set this up before you fly. Carry some cash in small notes as a backup.

What is Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park?

It's a hillside of tropical rainforest just north of Yalong Bay, Sanya's best-known beach, on China's Hainan Island. China Daily and China Discovery put the park at about 1,506 hectares. The gate is on the north side, roughly 4 km from the beach, so it's a short ride from the bay's resorts.

People come for the view more than the forest walk: from the ridge you see the whole crescent of the bay, the hotels, the white sand and the islands offshore. A shuttle links the lookouts, and the big draws are the glass skywalk over the treetops and the rope bridge made famous in China by a 2010 Feng Xiaogang comedy.

China Daily counts more than 1,500 species of tropical plants and around 190 species of wild animals. The villas of the Bird's Nest resort are scattered across the slopes — you'll see them from the trail, but they're a hotel, not part of the visit.

The glass bridge and the rope bridge

What tours call the glass bridge is a 400-metre glass skywalk laid over the canopy along the top of the ridge, facing the bay. The deck is 30 mm tempered glass, and both English and Chinese Wikipedia describe it as Hainan's first. Shoe covers are compulsory on the glass. It's the last shuttle stop, so ride straight there and work your way down.

The rope bridge (过江龙索桥, the Crossing Dragon Bridge) spans about 168 m between two peaks and is the one from If You Are the One 2. Sources disagree on how high it hangs, so we don't quote a figure. It has closed for repairs after strong typhoons before — ask at the ticket office whether it's open that day.

Afraid of heights? Skip the skywalk. The free lookouts on the ridge give almost the same view of the bay without the extra ¥98.

What to see in the park

• Glass skywalk on the summit — 400 m over the trees with the whole bay below; separate ticket.
• Crossing Dragon rope bridge — 168 m between peaks, the film location for If You Are the One 2.
• Ridge lookouts — free views of the bay, the islands and the line of resorts; clearest in the morning before the haze.
• Orchid Valley — the first shuttle stop and start of the forest hiking trail, about two hours uphill.
• The cliff-top “umbrella” platform — a small deck for about 20 people above a little mountain pool.
• 6D rainforest cinema — extra charge, unofficially ¥60; skippable.
• The Rainforest Drift water ride is suspended, according to East China Trip and a notice on Ctrip, with no reopening date.

How long to spend and best time to go

Three to four hours covers the shuttle, the skywalk and the rope bridge; hiking up from Orchid Valley turns it into half a day. Ride to the top first, then walk down past the lookouts — you'll beat the tour groups to the skywalk and do less climbing in the heat. The hike up takes about two hours on steps and forest path, and it's no place for strollers or wheelchairs.

Arrive for the 8:00 opening if you can: it's cooler and the air over the bay is clearer. September or October to April is the drier, more comfortable season; July to October are Sanya's wettest months, and typhoons arrive in summer and autumn. The park and its bridges can close during storm warnings, so check the forecast and keep a spare day. Avoid Chinese public holidays if possible.

Is Yalong Bay Forest Park worth it?

Yes, if you're staying at Yalong Bay or nearby. In half a day you get the best view of the bay and a taste of real tropical forest without a long drive, and the shuttle makes it easy for almost anyone. The skywalk and rope bridge are well run and genuinely fun if heights don't bother you.

It's less worth it if you want deep jungle with waterfalls and gorges — Yanoda Rainforest is bigger and wilder, though an hour away. On a tight budget, note that the add-ons nearly double the basic ticket, while Luhuitou Park in town gives a free hilltop view over the city.

Yalong Bay Forest Park, Yanoda or Luhuitou?

Prices and distances are unofficial, from East China Trip, China Discovery, Travel China Guide and Chinese booking sites. Staying in Yalong Bay? Start here. Want a full day of forest? Go to Yanoda.

Views in Sanya, compared

Every viewpoint in Sanya scored by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.

How to do it right

• Take the shuttle straight to the skywalk and walk down — fewer climbs and shorter queues.
• A combo only pays off if you want both the skywalk and the rope bridge; for the skywalk alone, buy the basic ticket and add it on site.
• Pack insect repellent — the forest is buzzing after rain.
• Photograph the bay in the morning; haze often settles over the sea by midday.
• Pair the park with Yalong Bay beach: hills in the morning, swimming after lunch.

Questions